Gilchrist's intensity impresses at NBPA

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - At 15 years old, Michael Gilchrist is almost certain to make tens of millions of dollars in his basketball career.

Here’s why.

Gilchrist recently helped his team from New Jersey win the championship at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions club basketball event in the Triangle. He is a 6-foot-7 forward with incredible spring and body control who’s one of the top few players in the Class of 2011.

On Friday morning, Gilchrist turned an ankle at the NBA Players Association top 100 camp at the University of Virginia. His team at camp was 3-0 and about to play an overmatched opponent Friday evening when he had a long conversation with camp director Dave Telep.

Gilchrist wanted to play. Telep said it took 15 minutes to convince him that he would be better off sitting out for a night.

“He’s so competitive,” Telep said.

With Gilchrist sitting out, his team breezed to another win Friday night behind point guard Kendall Marshall. A North Carolina commitment, Marshall isn’t one of the high scorers at the camp and wasn’t selected for the camp all-star game.

But nobody at the camp is better at getting his teammates open shots.

Others on the injured list at camp include Class of 2011 wing P.J. Hairston of Greensboro, who’s on crutches because of what Telep called a tissue injury, and Charlotte United Faith Christian point guard Ian Miller, who’s committed to Florida State.

A gimpy Miller made a game attempt to play Friday morning but clearly wasn’t at his best.
Here are more observations from Friday night at the NBPA camp:

- Wing forward Harrison Barnes of Ames, Iowa, hasn’t been as dominating as expected at the camp.

He averaged 12 points in two games Thursday and 15 points in Friday’s two games, but has yet to score more than 16 in a game. You would expect more from the top-rated player in the Class of 2010, but it’s impossible to tell how a stomach virus Barnes suffered early in the week is affecting him.

- All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons had Ohio State-bound power forward Jared Sullinger of Columbus rated No. 1 in the class before the NBPA camp, and Sullinger has been impressive.

He cleverly positions his 6-foot-9, 270-pound body for strong finishes around the basket, and he’s not the only good big guy from Ohio in the class. Adreian Payne of Dayton is less powerful at 6-9 and 215 pounds, but has more spring.

- Ken Tysiac